Fire and Ice
by disfigured-dream
Summary: het. MC fic. Incomplete. Warning : Vampires included in the package.
1. Chapter 1

_There's a reason why she avoids humans. That reason is the secret that she and all of her kind share and keep. Almost all that is. Once a millennia, there will invariably be the usual traitor waiting to expose them all. Naturally, these traitors had to be stopped before they had a chance to betray their kindred… This was left to the unofficial 'police' of their kind… Unofficially named and feared even by their own… the Shadows._

_Back then, none of that was her concern. What need had she to bother about them? Such matters were dealt with by the Shadows._

_Now, the tide had turned. Her immediate concern was not that of the humans chasing her, but how she might be dealt with by the Shadows._

_The mere of the name caused a deathly chill to blow itself through her marrow. She froze immediately, and could not take another step. Focusing her mind, she calmed her white glow, restraining it before it could freeze her heart. Ten precious seconds later, she unfroze, and ran on faster than ever, with traces of ice lingering in her bones, and half the village hot on her heels…_

Hi, I'm going to recount what happened to me in the past four months. It's really been hectic, you guys! Anyway, you just have to be patient, sit back and read, 'cause I need some time to think about what happened, and arrange them nicely in chronological order…

Do you know what vampires are? Most of you should have read Dracula. Scared? All that blood-sucking and all that should. And it's pretty scary how their victims are supposed to turn into vampires themselves too.

Actually, its all a wrong concept. The bitten people don't turn into vampires. Most vampires aren't evil characters either. Once you get to know them, they might even be nice. Annoying, but nice. Vampires live much longer than normal humans. Well, they're practically immortal. Anyway, you'll know more about what I'm trying to say as you read on.

But who am I to tell you all this, you may ask…

Have you guessed it yet? Most of you should have known by now.

I'm Kinomoto Sakura, your friendly neighbourhood vampire.


	2. Chapter 2

_The reason why Sakura Kinomoto avoids contact with humans is because she is a vampire. It's not just for their protection though… After all, no one cared about those puny humans._

_Vampires avoid humans for their own safety, because if their identity is exposed, they are hunted down by the unofficial vampiric police. Unofficial police have unofficial names. They are therefore unofficially known as the Shadows. The rationale being, of course, that they lurk, in the shadows, ears pricked to discover any hint of mutiny or traitors. Then, they deal with them. How they deal with them, no living creature knows. One can assume however, that it is horrific. Yet one human escaped from Shadow radar. One human knows the truth. Who is he?_

I'm here to tell you that. You see, strictly speaking, shadows can't be in every place at once! You just never know _when_ they are keeping tabs on you. So either way, I generally don't mingle around with humans that much, It's too hard having to explain why I don't seem to be growing any older. But then, someone discovered my identity. Let me explain…

I live in a modest house. A mere 20000 feet squared. There's a pool, security systems… And usually, no one but me enters it.

I'm a vampire. Vampires and sunlight don't mix. It's so blinding to the eyes. Never understood how humans could stand all those arrows of light piercing into their eyes. So, in my nice home, curtains are drawn. At all times. Till twilight.

Now one day, I'd just woken from my usual daytime nap, and reading my favourite vampire manga (seriously, it's hilarious what humans can think up. The crosses and garlic? Talk about ridiculously stupid.), when someone was behind me. Maybe I was too absorbed in reading, but I didn't notice his presence till he was three metres away.

How did he get past the alarm systems? Why would he be here? Normally, he wouldn't be a threat; humans are, after all, fragile. I made to turn around, but I was suddenly frozen to the spot, unable to move. I just sat there, helplessly immobile. The cold was terrible, and seemed to reach right into my soul. I forced myself to breathe evenly.

He came up slowly, and for a human, he was pretty silent. Then, a thin band of green light materialized around my neck. It moved a little, and most shockingly, sliced right through my aura, and broke my skin.

A trickle of black liquid stained my previously spotlessly white collar. Ok, now I was frozen by the guy _and _ frozen by shock. Great, just great.

"As I suspected, you are a vampire." Distaste rang in every syllable. The voice speaking could be considered low, but had the slightly squeaky pitch of an adolescent male human.

"Don't move please. Unless you wish to lose more blood."

Like I could move. He was somehow freezing me in place, and whoever heard of humans freezing vampires! I closed my eyes, and sent my senses behind me, curious as to the appearance of the human male.

………………………………………………………………………….

…………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………..

…………………………………………………………………….

Nothing.

I couldn't 'see' him! The mysterious chill locking me in place went down several degrees.

"Stop that! What do you want?" The cold was nearly unbearable without my aura.

"I want you to help me."

Strange. The situation was… amusing. It's not everyday a human barges into your home, freezes you, and asks for help. He didn't even ask nicely.

"You will help me till you have outlived your purpose. Then, you can go back to whatever worthless existence you have been living out. Now stand very slowly, and no tricks."

I attempted to do as he requested, but the effort made the deathly chill bite deeper into my heart. For the first time in five hundred years, I felt… vulnerable. Weak.

I gave up trying.

"I can't".

"Why not?" His voice was dangerously soft. For a human, he could be quite intimidating. On the other hand, his voice might have gone soft in fear of the presence of the awe-inspiring vampire sitting frozen to the spot in front of him. Highly unlikely, but I could hope.

"Umm… you haven't unfrozen me yet?"

The looming silence mounted. My heart was pounding in my ears. An emotion virtually unknown to me made my heart beat uncomfortably faster. Was it fear? The cold was digging deeper into my heart… yet it must have a soporific effect. I felt like I was drifting away… My eyelids closed…

_Magdalen Saunders watched the clock anxiously. Any minute, and she would meet her newly adopted daughter._

_The doorbell rang._

"_Here she is madam."_

_Minutes later, her new daughter, Eve, and herself were sitting in front of a crackling fireplace._

_Eve abruptly stood up, and gave her foster mother a hug._

_Strangely, Meg felt her aura draining away quickly. Startled, she tried to detach herself from the little kid, but she couldn't. _

_Eve's eyes flashed violet. A sadistic grin spread across her babyish face._

"_You intended to betray us. Your existence is now a liability… Magdalen Saunders…"_

_Meg didn't reply. She stared vacantly at 'Eve'. Mouth slightly open. Her face pleasantly smiling at nothing in particular. She was still smiling when 'Eve' left the house. Sitting on the floor._

_Smiling._


	3. Reaping Just Reward

**Author's note** : thanks all of you for reviewing. ) each and every one of them was sweet and touching. To finding, I'm afraid your confidence is misplaced, I'm totally predictable, as you'll find. It IS Li, cos otherwise, I wouldn't know how to fit him in… ( gomen. Now why don't you all… continue reading?

_The human's point of view._

He kept his face impassive, but inside he felt confused. Vampires were not that delicate. Why did this one collapse on him? He'd barely had time to cancel his knife-spell before she beheaded herself.

He glanced at the figure now lying limply on the sofa. She had been surprisingly light to carry. When he had lifted her in his arms, she looked so vulnerable. Too defenseless. He had not expected them to be so weak.

While thinking that, he realized he'd felt a stab of sympathy for the vampire. Examining his feelings, he found that it was mingled with guilt as well. Guilt for having to stoop so low. It couldn't be helped though. Still… it wasn't the vampire's fault…

_No, that creature is a monster. She's probably killed many people already. Why should I be feeling sorry for her?_

That's right. Syaoran hardened his heart. Vampires don't deserve sympathy. They deserved hate.

While waiting for her to come to, he rechecked his guiding spells. They seemed to be correct. Strange that they should lead him to her though. Why a vampire? Or more specifically, why _this_ vampire? There were plenty to be found throughout the dimensions. Yet he'd had to cross 13 boundaries to get to this one. He crossed the room, and scrutinized her face.

Pale. Cropped hair. No distinctive features. She didn't look too special. Or was she special _because_ she didn't look special?

_That's just nonsense._

He looked closer, and found something strange. Her lashes seemed to shine in the lamplight. Like they were coated with glass… Or was it…_frost?_

It wasn't just her eyelashes. Now that he'd noticed it, her face had a blue-ish tinge, and her teeth chattered even in her sleep. Queer for a stifling summer, and the house was not exactly well-ventilated. Tentatively, he reached out a finger, and touched her collar.

Freezing. Cold as ice. It seemed stiff with the cold as well. Now that he was so close, he could feel the air around her was several degrees cooler than the rest. Intrigued, Syaoran tried a sourcing spell.

Her eyes flickered open. Sudden pain blossomed from his back.

_Ouch…_

"I'm… sorry?" her voice was tentative.

He didn't reply, the pain was a little too distracting. A dull throbbing ran through his spine and arms. He recovered his presence of mind, and sent his senses to his back to examine the damage.

Miraculously, no bones were broken. That was good. It did hurt like hell though, but that would pass. Done checking, he tried to detach himself from the human-shaped dent he'd made in the wall. He couldn't. Surprised, he looked up.

_Oh, yeah_.

The vampire was angry. Why wouldn't she be? He had trespassed on private property, and threatened her.

The frost was melting away now. Not exactly melting. It was… _boiling._ Steam now billowed from underneath her wide, long sleeves. The room was beginning to resemble a sauna.

_Not good._

"So, you thought you could come in here and threaten me, did you?" her green eyes had somehow turned gold. Liquid gold, without even the black of her irises. Even her voice was changed. It was more… sophisticated. And eerie.

She seemed to change her mind.

"No, you didn't threaten _me _but the vampire is my property. You aren't allowed to threaten her either."

And the… _thing_ smiled. No, not smiled. _Grinned._

"Now, I'm going to teach you a small lesson. You will not be coming anywhere near her again."

He closed his eyes before the first bolt hit.

_The thing about pain, is that it __hurts._


	4. More than enough Damage

Author's note : finding: I agree. My chapters are too short. I guess I was too concerned with churning out chapters as fast as I could. Sorry, everyone! In penance, this chapter is a little longer… But I may not be writing again soon. Schoolwork calls, and I'm under obligation to study… sighs…

Rachelle, JiaYing, Hazel : arigatou! To sammy-chan, thanks so much! I'd love to discuss my plot with you should I ever get writer's block. Shockingpinkk : thanks a lot, I must leave a few loopholes, or there wouldn't be anything to tie up at the end of the story. CPF: hmm.. I'll try, as soon as I get the characters more established.

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_Sakura POV._

I must have swooned. Somehow, I was lying on the sofa. Then, the human male was suddenly thrown onto the wall. Back first.

_There goes my genuine gold edged linen tapestry._

"I'm… sorry?"

_Wait, why am I apologizing to the adolescent?_

That was when I realized I wasn't in control of my body. My mouth moved of it own free will. Lungs sounded words I didn't want to say. For some unknown reason, steam was emanating from my clothes.

_So much for ironing it nicely. It's going to be damn wrinkled later._

"So, you thought you could come in here and threaten me, did you?" I wasn't saying it, but yet, I _was_ saying it. The words definitely came through my lips.

I no longer felt in control of myself. A numbness spread through my limbs. I couldn't_ feel_ anything.

"No, you didn't threaten _me _but the vampire is my property. You aren't allowed to threaten her either." Was I really saying that? It seemed so surreal. If I was a human, I might think that I was dreaming. But vampires do not dream.

"Now, I'm going to teach you a small lesson. You will not be coming anywhere near her again." The voice that was not mine spoke again.

Then again, I might be some special exception. What else could it be, but a dream?

I might have been an observer. The only difference being that I was seeing it through another's eyes.

'I' lifted my hands, crackling with red light. Then, 'I' threw it at him. The male had closed his eyes.

A moment later, he was on the floor, in spasms of pain.

A grin pulled at 'my' lips.

"Care for another taste?" and 'I' hit him again.

This time, he was thrown up into the air; blood spurted in a graceful arc across the room, leaving its mark upon my carpet.

"S-stop!" I tried to scream.

But the sound did not come out. It only echoed hollowly through my head. Again and again.

_Oh, I guess I know that now. My head is hollow…ha… ha…_

"Leave, and don't return again." 'I' must have cackled. That explained the high pitched laugh echoing through said hollow head.

Suddenly, feeling rushed back to my limbs. I could feel the heat slowly leaving my body. The dryness of my clothes. My flushed cheeks. I felt like I had regained control of my movements.

Experimentally, I flexed my fingers. They moved.

Thank God.

Then I remembered the human adolescent. Or more specifically, I remembered the damage caused by the human adolescent.

It wrenched my heart to see my tapestry torn beyond repair. My originally creamy-white carpet was now adorned with splatters of brown. Wait. The brown. Brown of blood. Not good, not good.

Already I felt myself morphing. My front teeth were lengthening into fangs. My beautifully manicured nails stretched into claws. I lost myself to the desires of the beast.

_The creature sank her gleaming teeth into his neck. He cried out in pain, but soon became unconscious through lack of blood. She drank deeply, robbing the human of his life's pulse. Satiated, she fell back, and she too, sank into blissful oblivion._

I came to about 7 hours later. Disgusted. But it served the human right for coming here in the first place.

He stirred. Still living. Incredible, a total miracle.

I walked over and examined the bite I should have given him.

His neck was smooth. White. Unscarred.

No wound.

It must have been a dream after all. Phew.

But if that was a dream, why is the human from my dream in my house? And why is my beloved tapestry imported straight from Egypt ruined?

It was…real.

Officially freaked out now.

"Umm… are you… uhh… alive?" I needed to make sure he wasn't a ghost.

His eyes shot open. He sat up, surprising, considering the knock he had taken when he ruined my wall.

"Get away from me!"

Humans were like that. They tended to be traumatized if they survived a vampire attack. This one seemed unharmed though. The only thing which betrayed his should-have-been injuries were the bloodstains on his clothes.

I realized that I hadn't had a close look at his outfit yet. He was wearing some sort of traditional garb. White, baggy slacks, and a loose, wide sleeved shirt of some kind. What looked like white bandages wound up his left forearm, and around his neck.

_Wait a minute. Those bandages weren't there a minute ago…_

Curious, I extended a finger towards his neck. The male recoiled in fear. My lips formed a sneer. Typical humans. Such cowards. All his bravado was gone now.

Ignoring him, I fingered the bandages. They seemed to be some sort of tough, white cloth made from synthetic fibres. I attempted to slice it through with my sharp fingernail. It held. This material was special. Hmm… Very strange. I used a knife and tried to break it once more. My efforts yielded no reaction from the strange cloth.

I did, however, elicit a response from the human. He seemed to dislike the notion of my poking a knife around his neck. Hilarious. His hand shot out. I was caught unawares, and the knife flew from my fingers…

And thudded into my favourite sofa.

My eyes must have narrowed. You can come into my home uninvited. You might try to blackmail me into service, but touch my furniture? That's it. Mysterious power or no mysterious healing power. That human was so dead.

I bared my teeth. Letting my vampiric nature take over, my claws formed again. I advanced. Slowly.

The human suddenly changed. And by changed, I don't mean physically. I meant that he changed in his… posture. His expression. A few moments ago, he had been weak and vulnerable. Now, he seemed to pull himself together. His back straightened. His face turned cold and calculating. Like I wasn't going to be his match. I smiled. Humans do love to overestimate themselves so much.

And then, I pounced.

_Syaoran POV._

"Umm… are you… uhh… alive?"

The freakish vampire who had attempted to kill me was asking me if I was alive. My day could not get any worse. She looked in my direction. A scream tore from my throat, unbidden.

"Get away from me!"

That sounded stupid, alright.

She then starting poking around the bandages on my neck.

_Wait, why are there bandages on my neck? Did the vampire give me first-aid? Weird._

Suddenly, a sinister-looking knife materialized in her hands. She attempted to stick it into my neck. What. The. Hell. I recoiled. She laughed, and looked amused. Only vampires could find playing around with potentially injurious weapons amusing. I pushed her hand away.

She let go of the knife. And it sank into the chintz sofa a few metres away. After a few moments of silence, she turned back to face me. Her originally emerald green eyes flashed red.

Maybe she doesn't like that her furniture is ruined. Maybe she's angry because I helped to destroy the walls, chairs, and carpets in her living room. Either way, I wasn't going to stand there and let her attack me. I composed myself. I had been acting way too stupidly lately, it was time to make amends.

I concentrated on an imaginary ring around me, waiting for my magic to take effect. The vampire was probably about to attack, but I couldn't concentrate on her, not unless I wanted to live.

Nevertheless, I couldn't resist taking a peek at the creature who wanted my life. She walked forward gracefully, using her hands as feet. Her gait seemed distinctly feline. It was… mesmerizing.

I tore my eyes away from her. My barrier had not formed. Hurriedly, I recited the incantation to fasten the spell.

My calm gave way to panic. My words got jumbled up in their frenzy. The vampire was coming closer, she was now in mid-jump. Any moment and I would feel her claws slashing my jugular vein. Then, a blaze of greenish fire erupted around me.

I exhaled in relief. For now, at least, I was safe.

The vampire gave a yowl of pain as her palms met the surface of my witch-fire. That was good. I had enchanted it to remove evil intention and anger. I watched as her expression relaxed. Her shoulders slumped.

After a while, she smiled at me, and looked sheepish.

"So, are we friends or enemies now?"

A good question. Everything had happened so quickly, I had no idea who was in the right or wrong now.

"If I say friends, will you help me?"

And that was the start of a dubious partnership. Looking back, it confuses me how it came about…

Author's note: well, how was that? Confusing? Yeah, I thought so too. I have no idea how and why I wrote down those thousand-odd words. They just came out. Sorry if you didn't like the way it turned out… but some things are irrevocable…


	5. Running Away

Author's note: I had to try writing in the second person. Tell me whether it turned out well alright? I can't tell for myself… Here's chapter five! My, the hits on this story have been going down... and down… wonders if her writing technique has gone down too Ahh well. Here goes!

"Ok, so what do you want me to –"

You don't get to finish. Because there is a loud bang at the door. The crack that resounds around the living room pierces your ears.

"Kinomoto Sakura, please open your door!"

A flicker of fear runs through your veins. Ice is pulsing in your limbs, making its way towards your heart.

_The Shadows, they've found out._

"Hurry, human, we need to run!"

You seize his pale, white wrist, and tug hard; your heart is feeling frantic...

"What are you waiting for? Let's go!"

He speaks dryly. "If you are trying to hide from someone, what better way than to…visit a different dimension?"

He drops his hand.

And a black hole forms in the floor.

You gape. Humans are getting pretty incredible nowadays. You didn't see that little trick very often back in 1672.

"CLANG!"

By the sound of it, the door has been kicked in, you panic, and freeze. Literally.

The human sighs, and pushes you in…

The dark is embracing you. Caressing your skin like a lover. Slowly, the darkness reclaims you, as you sink into oblivion.

"You've been sleeping for a dawn and dusk."

You are lying very close to a row of cracking wood-fires. You look up, into the face of the disapproving human male.

"When you're quite done sleeping, eat your breakfast, and we'll make a move."

You prop yourself up on your elbow, and gaze blearily at the human.

"Who are you anyway?"

"You haven't told me your identity yet either."

You suddenly feel more alert.

"Well, you're the one that came to find me! I deserve an explanation!"

"Li. Li Syaoran." He answers shortly.

You realize a smile is making its way onto your face.

"Kinomoto. Kinomoto Sakura." You offer.

Something that could pass for a smile, but was in actuality a quirk of the lips, made his expression slightly softer. You get up, and smooth your soft cotton clothes. They are surprisingly unwrinkled. You must have been very still while you were sleeping.

He does that quirk of the lips thing again, and passes you what looks like a small rice ball. You wonder if that's all there is for breakfast. You bite into it, and a gooey liquid flows into your mouth. It's strangely tasty, and you feel full almost immediately.

You must have looked surprised, because Li does what can pass for a chuckle.

"_What are we doing now?"_ You have finished the rice ball.

"_To save somebody."_

"_Who?"_

"_She's called Meilin."_

"_What is she to you?"_

"_She is my fiancée."_

"_Oh."_

For some reason, a strange heaviness pulls at your heart. You can't think why… And you wonder why you are feeling this way. You think that you're just tired, and try to smile brightly. You succeed partially, but it does nothing to ameliorate your feelings. Your smile feels artificial, and it takes some effort to maintain it.

"Alright, How do we rescue her?"

For a moment, she seemed disappointed. Sad. Hurt, even. Why? But you could have been mistaken. After all, she seemed perfectly fine a minute later. Yet why do you keep thinking that her smile seems strained? And her eyes still had traces of that emotion. You berate yourself for worrying about vampires. But then, you are both in the same boat now… Sort of, anyway.

Silently, you stalk ahead of her, leaving her behind. You are tempted to look back, just to check on her, but you stifle that notion.

After what seems like a long time, you find yourself, to your surprise, breaking the ice first.

"You alright there?"

The vampire smirked.

"Of course. I'm not as fragile as you puny humans."

But she was panting slightly. Your lips pull into a smirk to mimick hers. Obviously, vampires didn't know the art of _Shukuchihou_. Of course, you couldn't have the vampire lose consciousness again. She had made you lose more time that you could afford.

"Ok, let's stop for a rest." You pull out the sticky rice pills from a green box.

"_Syaoran-kun! I made something for you!"_ She pulls a green box from nowhere.

"_Meilin… You didn't have to…"_

It's the least I can do! She beams widely.

Then she bends her head down, and murmurs very softly into your ear.

"_Please be safe. I know that you'll come back for me."_

You feel your eyes start to moisten, and you turn away from your fiancé. She seems to understand, and places her hand softly on your shoulder.

"_Take care… Syaoran…"_

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Your breath catches in your throat. Tears threaten to fall from your eyes. You blink them back, lest the vampire sees them, choking your sobs.

Night has fallen. You're still walking. The vampire seems more dreamy, and she asks useless questions.

"Li-kun."

"Humph."

"Did you ever wonder why the sky is grey at night?"

"No."

"Then do you dream of stuff? Ambitions?"

"Daydreams and fantasies are a fool's way of wasting away time."

"When you understand it, you wouldn't say that. Time is limitless. You'll have all the time in the world to waste!" The vampire grins.

_Nonsensical sayings._

You ignore her, and continue trekking…

_Meilin…I miss you…_

Author's note : How was that? Ok, I'm not totally into Syaoran-Meilin, but for now, they're lovers. 33 cya around!


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